


As Long as You're There

by MissRaichyl



Series: Love Story [8]
Category: Glee
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Competition, F/M, Fluff, Heartbreak, Hurt, Love, One Shot, Realization, Romance, Singing, confessing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 22:31:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7482444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissRaichyl/pseuds/MissRaichyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Sunshine claims her spotlight, Rachel makes a startling revelation about herself and has to show the right guy her true feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Long as You're There

Rachel stood at the side of the theater, sneaking away from her team to watch Sunshine blow the roof. She was talented, almost able to match her own level. Her team had just been on, and Finn probably blew it for all of them. W _hat was he thinking,_  she wondered as the curtains rose up to reveal Sunshine, standing in all her glory, the glory she deserved, at the front and center of the stage. Vocal Adrenaline swayed in the background and Sunshine's eyes met Rachel’s. They shared a smile and the brunette singer gave her a thumbs up. The one on stage took a deep breath and gave another smile as Rachel leaned against the wall, the coldness chilling her but at the same time waking her up.

As Sunshine hummed to the being of the song, Rachel closed her eyes. She thought back to when she was signing My Man, how all she could think of was Finn: his smile, his eyes lighting up seeing her, the feeling of his arms, strong and safe, as he hugged her, that feeling of being so heartbroken loosing that warmth- but now, now she had what she wanted, shared with more the 500 people including the judges and she just couldn't find it in herself to celebrate it like Finn was. He kissed her in front of New York,and she just wished that he hadn’t. She was waiting for it, wanting it, a part of her wanted to jump for joy but now she just wanted to push him away, so very, very far away and she didn't know if it was the timing or something completely different but she could shake that feeling off.

She silently thanked God for keeping Jesse away. He didn’t know and wouldn’t have to. _Hopefully_ he wouldn’t find out.

She focused her mind back on Sunshine’s song and surprisingly, instead of just seeing Sunshine, she saw curls and the iciest blue eyes surround by laughter, sitting on a bed, a record holder being caught in his hands, the lopsided smile as his eyes made contact with hers. That feeling of happiness that felt so surreal. Was this we the kiss unnerved her? Because through it all, maybe she did return Jesse's feelings?

It was always there but she had been too involved with a fantasy of Finn to see it and now she could actually lose him... Her head met the hard concrete of the wall, Rachel opened her eyes and Sunshine started with the words of the song.

_. . . all my life I've waited for the right moment to let you know, I don't wanna let you go, but now I've realized there's just no perfect time. . ._

Rachel looked out over the audience, pushing away thoughts that she would deal with when all parties were actually present. She, instead, watched how Sunshine captivated the whole audience with only the opening lines. Even when New Directions were disqualified for inappropriate behavior, Rachel hoped Sunshine won and got back her confidence. She scans the crowd; her team is all sitting, staring forward with impartial faces like they do, while she is over here cheering Vocal Adrenaline on.

Her eyes keep wandering around and around, searching faces for what, she doesn't really know, but she looks down, missing it. When she looks up again, it's the movement of someone coming to her that makes her look. The blue eyes she was missing stare into her, and shock makes her stand up straighter. _Why is he here? Did he see? Oh god…_ she wishes to fade into the wall behind her and never come back out. Her insides jump, doing a high somersault, her hands are sweaty, her eyes too wide for normalcy, and she knew her face had to be burning in nervousness and embarrassment, as he pulled himself straight up, watching her, watching him, watch her. 

 _. . . I'm incomplete when you're not there, holding me, touching me. I swear all of the rest could just disappear and I wouldn't even care, as long as you're there . . ._

Rachel watches him, eyes glued to him, a part of her wonders if he is going for the doors to their left, leaving her again, but this time, she can only blame her own stupid actions, but instead he continues towards her. He picks up her gaze again, holding her rooted to her spot. She wouldn't move if she could though. Then he’s in front of her, feet away and she stares at him, talking to him without words, using the understanding the have with each other. She doesn’t want to speak, because, well, it would be very rude to Sunshine and her performance, but also, she can’t find her own voice in this moment.

Rachel just looks at Jesse, trying to convey the embarrassment she had for what happened on the stage, knowing that if he was here, even if he didn't see, he heard about it. She saw the eyes of the audience after the kiss. It didn't go unnoticed. She tries to convey how much she wishes she could take it back and return to before, when he said goodbye to her before they left for New York because they were technically dating and she let Finn kiss her like that... she tries to convey how sorry she is. She wants him to know that nothing that happened on the stage mattered to her.

He just looks at her, hurt staining his gaze, rejecting her unspoken excuse. She hurt him again. Rachel bows her head, what else could she do? This wasn't an eye for an eye, they were both people with feelings, and even though he hurt her once, he apologized and made up for it ten-fold but Rachel felt like she just kept screwing up. How can she fix this?

Rachel looks over her shoulder at Sunshine, her voice echoing around them, and then back to Jesse. His eyes had followed hers before returning a second later, titling his head and glancing over at the team, towards Finn. _What about him? You shared something on that stage?_ He asks her with his stare and she sees the jealousy hiding inside. 

Rachel looks back at Jesse who was watching her intently. She shakes her head again, feeling tears forming. _It never supposed to be this difficult._

But it was Jesse and Rachel, they are epic, they are going places, they have plans.

They could have it again.

If she didn't have him, she had nothing.

_. . . This is me reaching out; I hope you can hear it now. 'Cause, baby my heart said stay, take it, it's yours to break. I'd rather try and lose, than keep this love from you . . ._

* * *

Finn felt someone nudge him, a sharp tap in his shoulder and he looks to the row behind them to find Santana's smirking eyes, full of mischief. She point to the far side of the auditorium and he gave her a confused look, but followed her finger. They're supposed to be watching the competition. He felt her breath tickle her ear as she whispered, "I think I found Rachel, _"_  the giggle lazed inside his head as he stared at the girl he loves, standing with her back to the stage and face to face with his mortal enemy, St. Jerk Face. 

Finn's high come crashing down around him as he watches her. He couldn’t tell if they were talking or not. If Santana hadn’t pointed them out, then he would’ve never seen them. He would've been happy still. For all he know, Rachel could be telling him off for even showing up. Yea- that's what was happening. Rachel had been Team Finn since they landed in New York, and the kiss, the kiss was epic! It was the superman of kisses. 

But yet, all Finn could do was watch. He didn’t want to disturb the performance, that would piss Rachel off for sure, especially if she was already mad at Jesse in the first place but the way she was standing toward him... all he could do was watch from his seat.

_. . . Holding me, touching me I swear, all of the rest could just disappear and I wouldn't even care, as long as you're there. . ._

* * *

 Jesse watched her from his place up the aisle for awhile leaning against the very far back of the auditorium as she kept moving along the wall, staring at Sunshine owning the stage to looking around the auditorium. She doesn't see him, maybe she doesn't care that he could be there, but he has to know. His insides are in turmoil because she's about to slip away again if he doesn't go to her. He watches as her head hits the concrete and he wonders if it hurts as he moves forward, jolting himself, but he regains his composure. She looks as if she was about to cry.

He starts toward her and she looks up slowly, as if his face was what she had been looking for. The conversation passing through them with out words shocked him, that he had this type of connection with someone, that he could be this close to human to not even exchange words with them, just by looking at each other. She had hurt him, without trying, but she knew. The way her eyes look at him hits him, they feelings being convey to him,  _it didn't matter, I don't want it to matter_ , she says, looking at Sunshine suddenly, her lyrics falling over them, her eyes returning to his,  _listen, these are my feelings_ , and he wonders what she would do if Sunshine was singing something else. He can't help the smile that plays on his lips, knowing that Rachel was honest, that she didn't start the kiss, that she loved him.

And now she is staring at him, fighting for him, when he though he would have to fight for her. Jesse didn’t want to be hurt again by her and he wishes she would know that. She just watches him, he can see the pleading in her eyes as Jesse contemplates his decision to let her back in or walk away for good. It’s not a decision at all.

Sunshine's voice opens into the whole auditorium, reaching heights that could shift the balance between the victories, and he unfolds his arms, opening himself to her once more. He would let her trample him everyday if it meant she chose him. He loved her that much. He shrugs with a fading smile, unsure suddenly that she might not choose him, after all, she did tell him not to set a foot in New York, but couldn't she understand he can't keep away?

 _. . . Each day and night, that I've kept this a secret, it'd kill me; it's time to share what I feel inside. . ._

* * *

Rachel watches as his arms fall, the openness that he was sharing with her again, that he wouldn't turn her away. She can't help it as she picks up one foot, going toward him, crashing into his chest, her arms wrapping around him like a vice, burying his head into his shoulder. She curls her hand up around his shoulders, pulling herself up and he holds her just as tightly, burying his face into her shoulder, into her hair that smelled of flowers, soft and peaceful, always knocking him back, making his calmer. Her presence was that for him, always keeping him in check and fueling him at the same time. 

She feel him pull back a little, coming to look at her, his hand cupping her face, his thumb soft on her cheek. His signature move on  her, whenever he was truthful, whenever his honesty was coming to the surface, he always touched her face, connecting her to him in such a pure way. 

It was her that push him, her toes helping her gain height, her lips finding his. The softness melting them both. This is the kiss that should have happened, she thinks, as he kisses her back, not a care in the world that there were eyes on them, staring at what was happening. It was slow passion that simmered between them, a slow burn that controlled the kiss. He didn't rush it, but kissed her slowly, letting her sink into his feelings that way she controlled his. 

Rachel was stunned though, she had initiated the kiss, but yet he was in control and the feelings he gave her made her want to cry in relief. The safety that he gave her, the love- it was so much more than Finn's kiss, she couldn't help but compare them. This kiss was so much more and she wanted to fall into Jesse completely. 

Her heart stuttered and she pulled away, burying herself back into him, holding him tight, leaving him little choice but to wrap his arms around her, his head bowing down to lay on hers, his lips kissing to the top of her head softly, just holding her close to him, as close as he could get her.

* * *

Finn watched it all and he knew, as his heart broke like it did when they were back home and he watched Jesse kiss her on that stage, that his hold had been destroyed again. All the things he did to win Rachel back, the date, throwing Nationals, all of it, was no longer worth anything.

When the members tore into them later, because he lost their trophy, it would be him in trouble, because Rachel chose Jesse, and that meant she didn't plan the kiss, that she didn't support it. He would be at fault because he chased her, a girl he couldn't keep.

She wasn't his.

He felt the air leave him. He felt his heart crumble and settle into the bottom of his stomach.

"Well, look at it this way, you would have lost her anyway, it just happened sooner than later." Santana whispered in his ear and he never felt so thrown away. Everything he did, all the allowances he lost, added up to nothing, was worth nothing. 

He focused on the stage, he really wanted to punch St. Jerkface and if he didn't look away, he really might of gotten New Direction's disqualified, if they weren't already. 

* * *

She let him hold her, and she felt that no matter how close they were, she would never be close enough. Jesse and Rachel needed no words. When Jesse tried to let her go, she pulled him closer. She had just found out what she was missing, she was going to take her time. Rachel heard him chuckle, and he rested his arms around her small frame in the dark of the auditorium as Sunshine wound down her song.  

Nothing could make her let him go, not now. She carefully looked up at Jesse, as his eyes danced over hers, shifting her to his side as they watched Sunshine's performance, her eyes on them, smiling brighter than the sun. He tucked Rachel under his arm and leaned against the wall. 

_. . . as long as you're there. . ._


End file.
